Tigers look to get back on track against Mt. Hope
Tiverton loses to Smithfield 2-1, fall to 4-3-2 in Division 2
Story and photos by Richard W. Dionne, Jr.
Posted 9/29/26
The Tiverton soccer team fell to Smithfield 2-1 during a Division 2 home game on Tuesday, 9/22. Senior center back Colby Lopes headed in a Nolan Oliveira corner kick for the Tigers lone goal of the …
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Tigers look to get back on track against Mt. Hope
Tiverton loses to Smithfield 2-1, fall to 4-3-2 in Division 2
Goalkeeper Bodhi Gerlach makes a save during Tiverton's 2-1 loss to Smithfield last Tuesday night. Tonight the Tiverton travels to Roger Williams University to play Mt. Hope at 5:30 p.m.
Photos by Rich Dionne
Tiverton players huddle before their 2-1 loss to Smithfield last Tuesday night. Tonight the Tigers travel to Roger Williams University to play Mt. Hope at 5:30 p.m.
Colby Lopes (left) looks on as Owen Schreiner dribbles up field on a Tigers attack.
Nolan Oliveira vies for a Smithfield goal kick in the first half.
Goalkeeper Bodhi Gerlach makes a save during the game.
Tiverton striker Nolan Oliveira dribbles through a pair of Smithfield defenders in the first half.
Tiverton striker Nolan Oliveira dribbles through a pair of Smithfield defenders in the first half.
Colby Lopes heads a Tigers corner kick into the goal to give Tiverton a 1-0 lead in the first half. Senior Ben Stearns looks on at right.
Senior defender Landon Manchester vies for a throw in during the game.
Posted
The Tiverton soccer team fell to Smithfield 2-1 during a Division 2 home game on Tuesday, 9/22. Senior center back Colby Lopes headed in a Nolan Oliveira corner kick for the Tigers lone goal of the game in the first half as they fall to 4-3-2 on the season. Tiverton looks to get back on track as they face Mt. Hope tonight, 9/29, at Roger Williams University at 5:30 p.m.
Tiverton has strong senior leadership this season in Lopes, Oliveira and Sylas Carlile. Tigers head coach Tom Murray lauded his striker in an interview before the game.
“Nolan is one of the best forwards in the state. We are lucky to have had him for a couple of years.”
Oliveira scored 19 goals last season for Tiverton, including their playoff run. He currently leads the team with seven goals. He is a skilled player that can use his stout frame to power through defenders. He feels that the Tigers can get back in the win column if they start coming together as a team.
“We have a lot of good things going on,” he said before the Smithfield loss. “Though I feel that we still need to figure some things out. If we start finding the net more and start playing as a team, there's not a team that can stop us.”
Oliveira said that the Tigers have a solid defense and can transition the ball well up field to start the attack. He likes to field through balls and attack the opponent's defense.
“We play a 4-4-2. And I think we catch a lot of teams off guard with our transition game. We scored a lot of our goals that way.”
Carlile, a forward, has scored a pair of goals this season. He said that Coach Murray preaches heart and to keep their motors turned on while on the field.
“He wants us to put everything we have into every single game,” he said. “Keep pushing 100 percent no matter the score.”
Carlile is amazed that the Tigers, after years of not having enough players, have a 31-man roster this season.
“It’s the most we have had on the team in my four years,” Carlile said. “We have 12 seniors this season and a lot of players that can come off the bench and contribute.”
“Having 12 seniors helps,” echoed Coach Murray. “We are striving to get back to full health and the road doesn’t get any easier.”
Coach Murray was happy with the Tigers 1-1 tie to Portsmouth, a Division 1 team. Tiverton has also beat Central 1-0, Westerly 2-0 and North providence 3-2.
“Division 2 is very competitive,” he said. “Everyone is bottled up in the middle. It’s a tough division.”
Lopes, a senior center back, and senior goal keeper Bodhi Gerlach are preaching communication and team defense.
“We’ve been working hard on fixing the communication,” said Lopes. “The strikers and midfielders press from the front. Everyone helps out.”
Next up: Tiverton travels to Rogers at 4 p.m. on Friday 10/2.
